The Pony Man strums his guitar as the sun sets after another
day of playing, finding treasure and eating mountains of candied
apples. For this entity, it was a never-ending babysitting job
concerning countless numbers of children; holding the fragments of
their spirits in his realm until their mortal forms perished and
thus freed their Spirit of Innocence to enter one yet to be born.
He had no complaints; it was what he'd done when the first children
were born and what he would do until the last perished.
He blinks as a flash of light near the campfire brings Naru
into his realm. Beside him was the current guardian of Eternity in
her civilian guise. "What brings you two here?" he places the
guitar aside, gazing fondly at them.
"We apologize for disturbing you, Oji-sama," Yuki sits across
from him. Like the avatar of Life, she too had the ability to
enter the Pony Man's realm. "Naru-chan suggested to me that we ask
for your help in dealing with the Fushin tomorrow."
"It's hard for me to interfere in the mortal realm; I have no
real power there," he advises.
"True...but there are twelve people now available who could
become your agents in the mortal realm," Yuki smiles.
"You mean the girls who bolted from Fushingi's stable?"
"Hai," both nod.
The Pony Man purses his lips, allowing the light to illuminate
his grandfatherly face, pale eyes gazing at the red horizon beyond.
"Well, that could do something to stem the Fushin. You have to
understand that when that happens, forces will arise to fight them.
Are they prepared to deal with that?"
"They wish to repent their past sins as Shingi Maidens and
learn what it really means to be human," Naru smiles. "I'd say
this could help them do just that."
He smiles. "Alright, I'll help."
"Thank you," Yuki nods...
* * *
"Faith No More"
a tale of the Sailor Senshi
by Fred Herriot
gorgo@kwangju.net
**** **** ****
Edited by E.B. Kushnir
kush1@iaw.on.ca
**** **** ****
Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi
**** **** ****
PART FIVE - THE LIGHT OF INNOCENCE
Chie breathes out, allowing Yuuichirou to descend into a
content slumber as she dismounts him, then slips the covers over
him before drawing a robe over herself and walking to the sacred
fire room. After the planning session at Ayako's and Matsuri's
home, the shrine maiden had to fight off Rei's curious questions,
sensing deep down that Fushingi was trying to learn what the Sailor
Senshi had planned for the morrow's gathering at the Juuban Arena.
The twelve former Shingi Maidens had volunteered to go there as did
Beans in hopes of averting a major catastrophe.
It was only the first step, Chie bites her lips. She had so
much blood on her hands, it would take years...no, centuries!...for
her to properly atone for her past acts. She and her friends had
yet to sit down and really talk about their future plans, but Chie
knew that no matter where they went, they went as a group. Which,
thanks to Yuu's and Asuka's growing bonds with Shingo and Ichiro,
would keep them closely bound to the Sailor Senshi.
Gazing at the flames, she allows her mind to drift back to the
many Chaos Crusades she'd been a part of. Manipulating thoughts,
destroying icons, casting a storm of doubt on the people of fifteen
innocent worlds, allowing them to destroy themselves in an orgy of
bloodlust as everything that made them intelligent beings was torn
away. Watching Fushingi drink that power, draw on it like some
perverse narcotic, lasting as long as it took for the hunger to
return, which wasn't really that long in terms of years separating
each Crusade.
Try as she might, she couldn't focus on a single face, seek
out someone in particular on which she could focus her grief, her
guilt and sorrow. Like a coward, she remained behind the scenes,
using Haishin as trained attack hounds to do the dirty work. She
rarely stayed behind for the destructive orgy that normally
resulted from a Maiden's raid. It made her more guilty even
thought Fushingi had ordered his Maidens to clear out when people
started dying...and then, all Chie did was obey. Yes, sir! No,
sir! Anything you say, sir...!
"Are you alright?"
Chie turns to see Naru standing behind her, a small box in
hand. "Naru, what are you doing here?"
"I got you this for tomorrow," Naru hands her the box. "It
should help spice things up in case Fushingi tries to manipulate
you back into his fold."
Opening the box, Chie sees a neck choker containing a row of
beautiful amethyst jewels mounted on an electric blue cloth.
Slipping it around her neck, she fastens the choker in place, then
gazes at Naru. "How does it look?"
"Looks good," Naru smiles. "Now, say 'Calliope Sentinel
Cosmic Power, Make Up'..."
* * *
"Will you quit berating yourself, Usagi-chan," Ayako sighs.
"It isn't your fault that things got out of control and the others
couldn't keep up with you. That's the way life is, remember?"
"I remember," Usagi sighs. Unable to return back home, much
less visit her friends or Mamoru, she went out for a walk. Ayako
volunteered to keep her company. "Still, I wish things had gone
better..."
"Yeah, I know," Ayako pats her friend's shoulder. "We all do.
But right now, we've got Fushingi to take care of first."
"True..."
Usagi turns a corner...then gasps as she rams into someone,
the blow knocking them both down. "*Tcha,* I'm sorry!" a familiar
accented voice cries out.
"No, it's my fault...Lum?!" Usagi blinks, recognizing the Oni.
Greetings are exchanged as Lum and her daughter Reiko are
introduced to Ayako. Despite her own personal tragedy, the Oni
seems in robust health, her green locks shorn to her shoulders.
Both she and Reiko carry shopping bags. "How's Ataru been for the
last while?" Usagi wonders as the quartet head into Tomobiki.
"He's not feeling much better," Lum admits. "There are times
he just sits at the window gazing into the night, wondering if all
he did was right. It reminded Mal-chan of the time when we'd been
kidnapped by the Mikado, when Nokoko-chan just stared into space,
withdrew from talking to anyone."
"Losing one's child can do that to anybody," Ayako muses.
"True," Lum's voice is hoarse.
"Mom, can we get something to eat?" Reiko wonders.
Lum nods, then turns to the Senshi. "Anyone for ice cream?!"
"Does the sun rise?" Usagi giggles...
* * *
"The princess is gone..."
"No, she isn't, Haruka!" Beans sighs, gazing bleakly at her
friends. The three now relax in the couple's living room, Haruka
and Michiru holding each other tightly, gazing bleakly at a picture
of the Senshi taken sometime before the battle with Galaxia. "She
just decided she wouldn't be your princess anymore. She doesn't
feel right about it..."
"She hates us!!" Michiru sobs.
"Michiru!" Beans cries. "She doesn't hate you! She loves
you!! She doesn't want to see you hurt..."
The American's words die as she realizes how hopeless it is.
Try as she might, she couldn't get her friends to shake off these
false feelings of abandonment, of hopelessness. Usagi's self-
transformation had been the perfect opportunity for Fushingi to
exploit, drive a wedge of doubts deep into the Senshi's hearts.
And outside of killing the bastard, Beans saw no way for her
friends to get out of this mess.
Rising, she walks to the window, gazing at the beautiful city
beyond. With the dark priest focusing his concentration on Japan,
the riots back home had quelled. Historians across America had
termed the coming of the faithless plague the worst outburst of
violence since the race riots of the 1960s. Beans shudders,
realizing how easy it was for people to be worked into a frenzy,
then lash out at innocent bystanders. And, if things went wrong
tomorrow, that violence would be unleashed on a nation which hadn't
experienced a civil war in four hundred years.
"Mame-chan?" Haruka gazes at her.
"Yeah?" Beans smiles.
"Where were you earlier?" the blonde gazes innocently at her.
Beans tries not to laugh. Chie and Wakana had warned her that
Fushingi would be pulling their strings to ascertain what he
couldn't sense directly thanks to Gurio. Playing Haruka as the
"cute 'lil innocent me" type was definitely NOT the way to convince
Beans that she wasn't having her strings pulled. "Oh, I just went
out to meet the others at Ayako's place. We're all worried about
you after what Galaxia did, so we tried to brainstorm for a bit.
Didn't get anywhere, unfortunately."
Haruka and Michiru exchange looks, then nod before returning
their attention to each other. Deep in her heart, the American
relaxes. Michiru could smell a lie coming from fifty miles away,
so telling her part of the truth seemed prudent. Besides, killing
Fushingi WAS a way of helping the Senshi overcome their personal
pain. But the dark preacher didn't need to know that just yet...
* * *
"This Beans is a very intelligent woman," Galaxia muses,
staring at the American's image through the scrying glass aboard
Fushingi's ship. "Says the right things to keep our hounds off the
scent. I wonder what sort of power she has."
"Perhaps you should go find out," Fushingi muses.
"No," Galaxia hums. "Most likely, Sailor Terra is close by.
I've no desire to see myself out of action with tomorrow being as
important as it is. Still, there is another way," she holds up a
glowing star seed.
Fushingi nods. Seconds later, Tin Nyanko appears beside her
mistress. "Awake again...?" she confusedly wonders, then stares at
Galaxia. "What do you want, Onee-chan?"
Galaxia rises, fighting down the surge of regret and sorrow
she always felt for manipulating the younger Senshi/Anima Mate like
this. Unlike the three other Anima Mates now reborn as Salvation
Senshi, the Golden Senshi had personally known Tin Nyanko...then
known as Sailor Shakubyou...prior to the Sailor Wars. Hailing from
different planets of the same solar system, the two met shortly
after the younger discovered her Gift, using it to kill her abusive
father after she caught him beating her mother.
The two remained together for some time, a big sister-little
sister partnership that saw them through many adventures...right to
that awful moment when Galaxia had found her friend's broken body
at the end of the Sailor Wards. Nyanko's loss haunted Galaxia for
years, influencing her decision to keep the fourth Anima Mate back
from obtaining star seeds until the others' failures had become
intolerable. Even after being initially cleansed by Sailor Moon,
Galaxia held onto Nyanko's star seed, her heart hoping to find some
way to restore her beloved friend to life.
"There is a woman who needs to be shown what it means to cross
us, Nyanko," Galaxia points to the scrying glass. "Eliminate her."
"Hai," Nyanko nods, then vanishes.
Galaxia smiles as she turns away from the Reverend, a single
tear flowing down her cheek...
* * *
"It seems our fourth would-be Salvation Senshi is on her way,"
the Forever Knight crosses his arms.
"Yes," Sailor Hades muses. "We just need to add the extra
ingredient. Excuse me."
The guardian of Eternity teleports from the Rock of Infinity
to a point in space some light-years from Earth, surrounding
herself in an air bubble as she comes upon a rock drifting between
solar systems, one enclosed by its own forcefield bubble and
hollowed out to contain enough water to carry a passenger. The
Wanderer within was about a quarter-life old, Hades reckons. Her
markings made her from one of the southern polar schools.
<> Hades bows her head in greeting.
<> the Wanderer mentally smiles...
* * *
"I'm sorry to bother you, Yuu, but you'll be needed at
Haruka's and Michiru's place right away," the Forever Knight sighs
after teleporting into the Tsukino home right after Hades left.
"A problem?" Yuu wonders, she and Shingo relaxing on the bed
they now shared.
"Galaxia's friend Tin Nyanko is heading to give Beans a bad
time," the guardian of Infinity crosses his arms. "Yuki's gone off
to get someone to help Nyanko cross the line back to our side, but
you'll be needed for some distraction."
"No problem," Yuu rises.
The Forever Knight vanishes as Yuu crosses her arms over the
beautiful turquoise jewels on their purple neck choker. "CLIO
SENTINEL COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!!!"
A funnel of wind forms into Doric columns as energy strips
Yuu's clothes away as a sailor fuku appears, trimmed in purple.
Her symbol, a scroll crossed with a writer's quill in salute to her
namesake muse, appears on her bowtie's button. When the wind
disperses, Sailor Clio emerges. "Wow!!" Shingo whistles. "First
my sister, now my fiancee! This is great!!"
"Aren't you a little young to worry about that?" Clio winks.
"Hey, you can't stay a kid forever, you know!" Shingo smiles
as they kiss, then he gazes into her eyes. "Be careful."
"I'll be fine," the sentinel of life skills nods...
* * *
"I take it you're not here for a social."
Beans was trying not to panic, but it's hard when you had a
bazooka pointed at your face and an evilly smiling girl in a black
sleeveless bodysuit with cat ear-like humps on the head holding the
weapon. Atop that, neither Haruka or Michiru, sitting several feet
away on a couch, seem to have noticed the intruder. "Not really,"
Nyanko smirks. "You know a few things about what the Sailor Senshi
plan to do tomorrow. Start talking and if I'm in a good mood, I
might not shoot off your pretty head!"
Beans blinks as a familiar form teleports into the apartment,
then points. "Look behind you."
"Oh, c'mon, I ain't gonna fall for...!"
A finger taps her shoulder. Nyanko spins around...and gets
belted by Clio's fist, sending the Anima Mate sprawling! As the
Forever Knight vanishes, the Life Sentinel moves between the
American and her attacker. "Would you care to try that on me
first?"
"Who are you?!!" Nyanko snarls.
"I'm the Life Sentinel Sailor Clio, protector of life skills
and avatar of history," Clio smiles. "And you're about to get a
reminder of what your history is like, Nyanko Suzu...or should I
really say, Sailor Shakubyou?"
The Anima Mate jolts. "How did you know that?!"
"You have a history before you were an Anima Mate, Nyanko,"
Clio smiles, spreading her arms. "And history is my specialty.
***HISTORAMA!!!!!!***" she claps her hands.
A holographic screen appears before Tin Nyanko, showing the
image of her homeworld. A simple family dwelling, not really
different from homes on Earth save for the cat-like influence in
the architecture. A family, a father who beat his wife regularly
while a scared girl watched. "Mama!!!" Nyanko cries.
"Remember, Nyanko..." Clio's voice is hypnotic.
Beans walks around Clio to kneel beside Nyanko, placing a
supporting hand on her shoulder as the cat warrior watches her life
replay itself. Images of continued abuse, intolerable by anyone's
standards. Nyanko crying over her mother's pain. Finally, a day
comes when the teenage Nyanko discovers a Gift, a power that makes
her Shakubyou's warrior of truth and love. Her first act: punish
her father for hurting her beloved mother. The additional pain of
taking that bloody step too far, then begging her mother for
forgiveness. Galaxia then comes. "Onee-chan...!"
Adventures together. Fighting daemons, alien invaders and
common crooks alongside the Golden Senshi. The Sailor Wars.
Watching Chaos' warriors lash out to destroy all before them,
trying to destroy worlds as the galaxy's pretty warriors banded
together. Making new friends. The iron lady, Sailor Tetsuzo. The
galactic siren, Sailor Ginkaibijou. The herald of Entropy, Sailor
Enko. A fierce battle sees the four cut down. Galaxia finding
them after, holding her beloved friend's body close as she vows
vengeance on the monsters who struck her down.
"I never wanted vengeance...!" Nyanko sobs.
Beans embraces her as Clio cancels out the Historama. Another
space warp brings in Sailor Hades, Sailor Chronos and a large
floating rock full of water. "This is the one, sister," the
guardian of Eternity gazes at the being inside the rock.
Beans blinks, then tenses as a calm voice fills her mind. <> a voice that strangely
sounded like Nyanko muses. <>
Tentacles snake out to gently touch the cat warrior, draw her
towards the being who will very soon become One with her. "Don't
be scared," Beans smiles. "This won't really hurt you."
Chronos hefts her Time Reaper, then levels it on target.
"***TIME SLOW ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"
Beans watches as the bubble of sped-up time wraps around
Nyanko and the Nendo-kata. The cat warrior fades as her mind is
drawn into the allasomorph's mind in Psi-Unity. All that remains
of her are the bracelets which gave her still-living spirit a body
to use. A pouch then appears as a humanoid body grows swiftly
before the sophomore's eyes.
The hatch then explodes as the reborn Nyanko Suzu emerges, the
Crossing Over complete. She then draws the bracelets to her
telekinetically, concentrating on them as she remoulds the crystals
to now work akin to the henshin sticks the Sailor Senshi use. Then
with a wave of her hand, the rock and the emptied shell within it
disintegrates. With that, Chronos disperses the time bubble,
allowing Nyanko to step back to the floor.
"Um...could someone get me some clothes, please?"
Everyone laughs...
* * *
"Nyanko's gone...?" Galaxia gazes at the scrying glass,
stunned that others had reacted swiftly to protect their friends.
Did they have the Fushin's ship wired?!
The Golden Senshi blinks as her friend's eyes glow, turning up
to gaze right at Galaxia. She shudders as the younger Salvation
Senshi's eyes tear, a voice echoing in her mind.
<>
* * *
"By the sounds of it, you have quite a problem before you."
Usagi smiles as Abraham Shapiro places a Mount Fuji before
her, then digs in. "You can say that again, Shapiro-san," the
Senshi's leader sighs. "I just wish I'd thought of this before I
asked Teach to train me."
"Reminds me of when Darling decided to move out of Tomobiki,"
Lum smiles. "You're lucky, Usagi. You at least want to hang onto
your friends. Eighteen months ago, all Darling cared about was
getting him and I as far away from this place as possible."
"Yeah, he said you almost broke up because of it."
"Hai," the Oni sighs, remembering the Spirit War's aftermath.
"After Icarus, Darling knew right away that when his innocence was
destroyed, mine was also doomed because I'd long become used to the
way he was. So, he tried to help me work through that as best as
he could. He made mistakes...very painful ones for both of us, not
to mention everyone else...but he made it up to all of us
eventually, in word and deed. You're the lucky one, Usagi; you
were never tortured into growing up."
"No, Lum, I was tortured," Usagi shudders. "Having Mamo-chan
brainwashed by Beryl, then watching the Senshi die protecting me a
couple of times...enough's enough as far as I'm concerned."
The others nod. "But now you have to try to convince your
friends that your changing is the right path," Shapiro hums.
"Yeah, that'll be hard, especially with what Fushingi just did
to them," Usagi sighs.
"But you have an advantage," Lum winks. "You still love them,
see them as your friends, see Mamoru-kun as your fiance. That's
your weapon against Fushingi. You have to work at it now, but you
have to do everything to make the other Senshi feel wanted."
"Yeah, it should be easy once that creep's out of the way,"
Usagi growls, then laughs. "Then again, my changing the Senshi
should be loads easier than what you and Ataru tried to do for the
Niphentaxians!"
"Oh, spare me!!" Lum wails as everyone else laughs. "I HATE
being reminded of those jerks!!!"
"Well, you did pull something off with the people here," Ayako
reminds her.
"That was mostly Darling's doing...and he wasn't pulling his
punches when that happened," Lum sighs.
"Usagi-oba-chan will have to do the same," Reiko muses.
Everyone looks at the young Noukiite. "What do you mean,
Reiko-chan?" Usagi blinks.
"'Sometimes you have to demolish a shrine to make a better
shrine,'" Reiko quotes. "Your friends honour the Silver Millennium
and the Moon Kingdom, remember? But it's now dust and dirt," she
looks out the window at the beautiful moon shining over Tokyo. "So
it's time to fix loyalties on something else."
"It happens all the time, Tsukino-san," Shapiro nods. "On
Vos, my people are trying to adjust after the Mikado ruled us all
for a century and more. Change is natural; it reinvigorates us and
allows us to go onto better things."
"Deep down, they'll understand," Lum smiles. "But you have to
give them the chance to understand, Usagi."
"Yeah," Usagi sighs. "And that begins tomorrow..."
* * *
Next morning...
<>
With that, nine people emerge from their homes and apartments,
heading towards the Juuban Arena...
* * *
"Just got a call from Katsura," Usagi sighs, gazing at Nona as
the latter enters the living room of the Tsukino home with Chooko.
"Mako-chan left the apartment this morning. Didn't say where."
Nona's eyes glow. "Found her. She's heading towards the
Juuban Arena."
"I sense Mamoru-kun, Ami-chan...yes, they're all there now!"
Chooko adds. "No sign of the Shingi Maidens."
"They're running silent," Usagi hums. "Okay, call the others.
We'll come together at Crown Arcade, then head over."
"Hai," Nona nods...
* * *
"So what's this all about?" Motoki muses, handing Gurio a cup
of coffee. With it still early in the day, only two people are at
the machines. "What's going on with Mamoru-kun, anyway? I called
him last night and he was acting really strange."
"Don't be surprised," Gurio sighs. "The gent who's been
causing this faithless plague got to Mamoru and the other original
Senshi earlier yesterday. They've been probably corrupted by
Fushingi into fighting Sailor Moon at the arena today."
"You're kidding me!" Motoki gapes, then blinks. "Hey, wait a
sec'! How'd you know...?!"
"I figured it out just like you did," Gurio smiles. "Atop
that, I am lovers with Sailor Pluto."
"Lucky you...oh, hi, Usagi!" Motoki blinks as a crowd streams
into the arcade. "What's up?!"
"Sorry to bug you, Motoki-kun, but we're getting everyone
together before heading to the arena," Usagi smiles, then gazes at
the American accompanying them. "After all, Mame-chan here says
the preacher that'll be there today is very good."
"Hopefully, this faithless plague won't ruin things," Motoki
crosses his arms.
"Well, if it does, we should be okay," Usagi smiles, noting
the presence of the two bystanders still within hearing distance.
"After all, I have faith in Sailor Moon."
"Good person to have one's faith in," Motoki winks.
Nona tenses. "They're here."
"Let's go," Usagi nods.
Stepping outside, the Senshi leader scopes the force ready to
stand with her. Naru, the Twins, Gurio, the Salvation Senshi with
their newest member and the twelve new Senshi Life Sentinels. Luna
and Artemis relax in Yuu's and Junko's arms. "We ready?"
"Ready as we'll ever be," Matsuri smiles.
"Okay, let's go," Usagi waves them down the street.
As they head off, Gurio and Yuki break off, ducking into an
alley to transform, then the Forever Knight and Sailor Hades
teleport away...
* * *
Already, a large crowd has gathered around the Juuban Arena.
Standing in the line up are the original Senshi and Mamoru, coming
through different lines as they disperse among the crowd. Also
there are twelve young women in kimonos.
As the crowds stream in, Usagi, Naru, Manami, Honoka, Wakana,
Asuka, Yuu, Junko, Taeko, Luna and Artemis watch from a nearby
grove. "I can sense Mamoru-kun," Honoka sighs. "He's inside."
"Can you sense his intentions?" Luna wonders.
"Hai," Honoka nods. "He's not here to actually fight for the
Reverend, but he knows you'll be here, Usagi. Once that happens,
he'll try to convince you to revert to being Princess Serenity."
"Damn," Usagi hisses, then opens her communicator, stabbing
the button for Sailor Diana. "What's the scoop, sis?"
"The other originals are inside now, seating themselves,"
Nona's face appears. "We're outside the south gates."
"Okay, we're going in," Usagi straightens herself, then stabs
the button for Sailor Hades. "Yuki, Gurio, start Phase One now."
"Understood," the guardian of Eternity replies...
* * *
"The Shingi Maidens are inside the arena now," Galaxia smiles
as she and Fushingi gaze at the scrying glass.
"Good," he nods, chuckling in morbid anticipation. "Once it
begins, then we'll start."
Suddenly, fingers tap their shoulders. "I think not!"
Both turn to see Hades and the Forever Knight standing behind
them. "You!!!" Galaxia rises, bracelets glowing.
"***ETERNITY HYPNOSIS!!!!!!***" Hades barks.
The Styx Staff glows, causing the scene around the Golden
Senshi to transform into a mad psychedelic realm of lights and
sound. Galaxia balks, staggering to her knees in shock, screaming
as she tries to fight her way out of this place...
...though to everyone else, they still stand aboard the
Fushin's ship. Fushingi stares at his ally as she grips her
temples, then glares at the Forever Knight. "Who are you?!"
"You'll find out," the caped guardian smiles. "Very soon..."
With that, he vanishes...as the ship quakes ominously as
internal systems are ruptured. "What's happening?!!"
"My friend is just teleporting various parts of your ship into
different dimensions where you can't control it," Hades smiles.
"By the looks of it, you'll have a warp core breech on your hands
in a few seconds. I doubt you'll survive that sort of explosion,
so I'd abandon ship if I was you. Ja nai," she waves before
teleporting off.
Fushingi gasps as the decks below him buckle, geysers of
energy lashing out. By then, Galaxia has recovered from Hades'
attack. "We have to get out of here!!" she grabs his hand, then
both teleport off just as the warp core detonates...
* * *
In a dressing room at the Juuban Arena, the Reverend Joseph
Ryan, a Baptist evangelist from Chicago whose reputation among
Americans is as solid as Billy Graham's, finishes his pre-rally
prayers. Rising, he crosses himself, then turns to his assistants.
"Well, shall we get on with it?"
"Yes, sir," the chief of security nods, opening the door...
...to reveal a woman in a white, pink, blue and red stylized
sailor suit uniform, long pigtails extending from her temples and
a golden crescent moon on her forehead. "Good morning, Reverend
Ryan," she smiles in accented English.
"Sailor Moon...!" the chief of security gapes.
Ryan blinks, then smiles. "I did not believe that a humble
preacher like myself would deserve protection from one like you,
young lady," he gracefully bows to her.
She returns his greeting. "I'm afraid that with the crowd
outside, those who've perpetrated the faithless plague will find
this rally too tempting to pass up. As a matter of fact, their
agents are already on the grounds ready to move. So, if you don't
mind, I'd like to stick around just in case."
"But of course," Ryan nods.
"Can we help?" the chief of security wonders.
Moon sighs. "All you can do for us is keep the crowd under
control and get them out of here when the shooting starts. We'll
try to draw their fire away as best we can, but I can't guarantee
anything with this sort of foe."
"Then may God watch over us all," Ryan sighs, waving the
security officers away...
* * *
Fushingi and Galaxia appear on the roof overlooking the arena.
Like other domed stadiums around the world, the roof is designed to
be retracted away so that open air soccer and baseball games could
be played if the weather is clear. Both look up, the brief star
making the destruction of the dark priest's ship fading in light of
the noon's sun. "So, we'll need a new ship when this is over
with!" he hisses, then exchanges nods with Galaxia...
* * *
In the crowd, Chie and Akira tense. "The Reverend..."
Standing beside her, Matsuri blinks. "He's here?!"
"On the roof!" Chie warns, looking up.
Blinking, the fire sentinel looks up, then her eyes glow.
"Galaxia's with her!" she hisses, then guides her friends out of
their seats to a convenient washroom to transform.
Watching them from her position across the way, Nona pulls out
her communicator, tapping the button for Sailor Terra. "Naru-chan,
Galaxia's here with the Reverend. You ready?"
"We're set," Naru nods, Nyanko beside her.
"Good luck," Nona nods, then waves her companions to a
secluded corridor...just as the interior lights fade, plunging the
closed dome into darkness.
Spotlights click on as Reverend Ryan steps onto the stage,
accompanied by Sailor Moon. The crowds cheer on seeing the
preacher, then the cheers become deafening as the pretty warrior's
presence is noted. "Usako..." Mamoru gasps, then rises to change.
Ryan mounts the pulpit as Sailor Moon remains to his left
rear, waving at the crowds. "Thank you, my friends!!" the preacher
smiles. "Thank you all and God bless you!!!"
The crowd applauds as Moon's eyes detect twelve women in
kimonos rising, their hands glowing with dark energy. She feels
the Crystal staff fill her hand as her other taps her communicator.
"Sailor Moon to all Senshi and Sentinels. The Shingi Maidens are
moving. Get in here now!" Ryan blinks, staring quizzically at the
pretty warrior...just as a blast of energy arcs at him. Moon spots
it, then leaps at him. "LOOK OUT!!!!!!"
A gasp escapes many of the crowd as the pretty warrior knocks
him aside a scant second before he would've been transformed into
a Haishin! Both crash onto the stage as Moon rolls out, snap-
drawing her Lancer as the gasps become screams. "Get to safety!!"
she looks at Ryan, then begins scanning for targets.
"Be careful!" he warns.
"I'll be fine!!" Moon nods, then twirls, her arms glowing.
"***MOON ENERGY CRESCENT STORM!!!!!!***"
Bolts lash out as the battle is joined. A technician watching
this from the sidelines quickly flips the switches to get the
lights back on, then is saved from being made a Haishin himself by
Sailor Tetsuzo. Sailor Terra, the Twins and the Salvation Senshi
emerge from the dressing rooms, joined by the twelve Life Sentinels
as they scope for targets. Moon watches as some of the crowd
surges for the doors, then grabs the microphone at the pulpit,
turning the volume to maximum. "Wait, everyone!!! Get down to the
floor, don't try to run out!!! If you move, you're a target!!!"
Much to her surprise, many take that advice, ducking as energy
bolts lash over their heads. Only a few escape, but by then, the
Life Sentinels are moving in on the Shingi Maidens, who have shed
their disguises as they try to summon Haishin to assist. "What's
happened to you, Yuuwaku?!" Onmitsu demands as a familiar woman in
a blue and lavender fuku charges at her.
"Yuuwaku is dead!" the sentinel of family warns, hands rising.
"I am Sailor Urania!! ***STAR HARMONY HYPNOSIS!!!!!!***"
Onmitsu screams as the bolt tears away her past loyalties to
the Reverend, confronting her with the terrible truth of her
present situation. They were outnumbered two-to-one and the Sailor
Senshi hadn't come to lose. Meanwhile, another Maiden notices a
group of children from an orphanage trying to escape under their
caregiver's guidance. "Too perfect!!" she laughs...
...then gags as Sailor Terspichore (Wakana) and Sailor Erato
(Manami) leap in her path. "I don't think so!" the former begins
to dance. "***MASK DANCE!!!!!!***"
The Maiden's targets disappear...just as the Maiden herself is
dropped by Ginkaibijou's foot! "Erato, get those kids out of
here!" the Salvation Senshi barks. "Terspichore, with me!!"
"Hai!!" the sentinel in the sea green and silver fuku turns to
the orphans. "C'mon, this way!"
"Who are you?!" a young girl asks.
"Someone who knows what having no family means," Erato smiles
as she ushers them out the door.
* * *
*So far, so good!* Moon grins as Terra races up to her. "How
is it, Terra?!"
"We're containing them," the latter smiles. "No one's dead so
far!!! No sign of the originals or Mamoru...LOOK OUT!!!!!!"
Terra slams Moon aside as bolts of energy lash over their
heads. They roll out, then turn to see Galaxia floating nearby,
laughing maniacally. "She's mine!!!" Terra snarls.
"Take her!!" Moon grins.
"No problem!!! ***EARTH-HEART FIRE GEYSER!!!!!!***"
The Golden Senshi is slammed by the blast of superheated lava,
sending her flying into the roof as Terra summons a whirlwind to
pursue. Moon watches her go, then sighs. "Good luck, Naru...!"
"Sailor Moon, look out!!" Reverend Ryan cries.
The pretty warrior dodges as a blast of lightning slams into
the stage, then spins around. "Oh, no...!!"
Standing there are the original Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen, all
with pained looks on their faces. "Usako, this has gone on far
enough!" the caped warrior draws a rose. "I can't believe you've
forgotten who and what you are."
"Don't you mean who and what I *was?*" Moon rises, the Crystal
appearing in her hand. "Princess Serenity is dead, remember?!"
"No, she's you!!" Uranus snaps. "You've just forgotten who
you are! Princess, please...!"
"I'm NOT your princess!!!" Moon growls.
The pain in the nine people before nearly tears a scream of
anguish from her heart. "Usagi, please...!" Mars pleads.
"No, Rei!!" Moon hisses. "I've stood back and watched you all
suffer on my behalf long enough! You don't realize it, but you're
being manipulated into doing this by someone else! Don't you see?!
You fixed yourselves on one vision on me and Fushingi's used that
against you! Why aren't you helping the others get rid of the
Shingi Maidens and the Haishin?! Have you forgotten your oaths?!"
"Our oath is to our Princess!" Pluto asserts.
Moon blinks, her heart sinking as the urgency of the matter
locks her on the only path open to them all. "An oath taken a
thousand years ago, another lifetime that is no more," her hands
fall on the Lancer, then she draws it. "An oath you failed when
the Dark Kingdom attacked. I am not your Princess, not in this age
and time. I am your friend. And if you can't accept that..." she
takes a ready stance, stowing the Crystal as the others tense.
"Then today, the Silver Millennium dies."
Silence falls as the Senshi pause, wondering what had come
over their leader. That pause is fatal as Moon charges, heading
right for Saturn and Pluto. The two are surprised as the Lancer's
tip jabs the former's bowtie, causing Saturn to shriek as a blaze
of energy slams through all her defenses. "Hotaru!!!" Uranus and
Neptune cry out as their ward collapses.
Moon is already on Pluto, a snap kick knocking the Time Key
out of the taller woman's hands, then the Lancer jabs her shoulder.
As the time guardian falls, the others spread out to get breathing
space and try to surround their leader. Moon's eyes narrow as she
watches them, then before they could react, begins spinning around.
"***MOON ENERGY CRESCENT STORM!!!!!!***"
The other Senshi scream as the bolts lance into them, knocking
them back as Moon lunges at Uranus and Neptune. Two quick jabs
with the Lancer drop the last of the Outer Senshi as Moon turns on
Venus. Jupiter leaps at her, grabbing Moon in a bear-hug as she
tries to pin her sword arm down. "Usagi, stop this!!"
The tallest of the Senshi is then hit at point-blank range
with a storm of energy crescents and darts! She lets go, then is
jabbed in the heart with the Lancer. "Why...?" Jupiter gasps as
she collapses to the floor.
Moon doesn't answer as she leaps on Mercury, the latter's
visor down as she tries to probe the Lancer for weaknesses. Chin
music sends the studious Senshi down, then Moon nails her with her
sword. "I'm sorry!!" Mars takes aim. "***FLAME SNIPER!!!!!!***"
"***LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!!!!!***" Venus fires.
The bolts pass through air, Moon leaping over them as she back
flips to land behind the last Senshi standing. Two quick jabs drop
Mars and Venus, then Moon tenses. "Usako!!!"
She ducks the storm of roses heading her way, then lunges at
Tuxedo Kamen. The caped knight draws his cane to block the Lancer,
wincing at the unbelievable strength his beloved now possesses.
"Usako, please, try to remember who you are!!" he pleads.
"I DO remember!!!" Moon snarls, then hooks his cane with the
Lancer and sends it flying. "***I...AM...SAILOR...MOON!!!!!!***"
The point jabs Tuxedo Kamen in the heart, knocking him to the
floor! Silence falls as Moon pants, trying to regain her breath,
then she screams, the dam holding her tears breaking as she leaps
down to help her beloved sit up. "Mamo-chan!! Mamo-chan!!!"
His eyes open, staring quizzically at her. "Usako..."
"I'm so sorry!!" she sobs. "I had no choice..."
He smiles, unable to do much more to comfort her. "Don't cry,
Usako...we deserve this for failing you..."
"No...I failed you..." she sniffles.
"Why?"
"I knew it was time to change," she burbles. "But I never
took the time to think about how you'd react..."
Surprise responds. "You still...love us?"
Moon smiles. "Always and forever," she kisses him. "We had
to tear everything down...but from that, we can start anew. We can
make something better, Mamo-chan. Much better."
"How can you hope to build a better future when they don't
WANT that future?!" a voice snorts over metered clapping.
Moon looks up to see a tall, middle-aged man in solid black
from head to toe standing nearby, staring disgustedly at her. She
then looks around, noting that the fighting has stopped, the Shingi
Maidens all felled and under guard by the Life Sentinels. Sailor
Terra and Sailor Diana are now mounting the stage. An unconscious
Galaxia is now being comforted by Sailor Shakubyou nearby. The
crowd is slowly emerging from their hiding places.
She then focuses on Fushingi. Lowering Tuxedo Kamen to the
floor, she rises, taking the Lancer and stowing it, then walks up
to the dark preacher. "So you're the one who started this, eh?"
she hums...then slaps him hard.
Fushingi staggers, shocked that Moon hadn't blasted him with
an energy attack. The pretty warrior smiles. "I just beat you!"
Terra and Diana exchange knowing smiles as the Forever Knight
appears beside them. "How could someone who just betrayed her
friends' faith in her win?!!" Fushingi demands.
"All a matter of opinion," Moon asserts, turning away as she
crosses her hands behind her. "That's what faith is, remember? A
simple, sometimes limited, matter of opinion. The way each person
sees her place in the Universe." She then stares at Fushingi.
"You don't steal faith, Reverend. You make people question their
faith. If they're weak, they're broken and vulnerable, all yours
for the taking. But if they're strong, they discard that faith and
move to something better. They grow up a bit more. And because
I'm strong...I can beat you."
Terra nods to the Forever Knight. He opens his cape, allowing
a portal to form between dimensions...and permits the spirits of
nine children to depart the Pony Man's realm.
"We'll see about that!!" Fushingi smiles...then gags.
Moon looks...as the spirits the Forever Knight brought in
touch their older selves, then become sparkles of energy as they
merge with their older selves, allowing them to remember the
carefree, innocent times before...
...Ami's parents divorced...
...Rei's mother died...
...Makoto's parents were killed in a plane crash...
...Minako lost friends when she moved to England...
...Mamoru understood what being an orphan was...
...Haruka's mother rejected her tomboyish ways...
...Michiru's skills isolated her from her friends...
...Hotaru discovered her healing power...
...Setsuna watched her civilization destroyed.
Rising, the Senshi exchange curious looks, then smile. They
then look at Sailor Moon. Yes, a princess, but that was a thousand
years ago. She was a different person now, one who wanted to be
more than a princess. One who wanted to be a friend, an equal.
Sensing the clearing of their minds, Moon turns to Fushingi, who is
now ashen faced. "You lost, Reverend."
"By the way," the Forever Knight hums, raising his cape higher
as an eerie glow illuminates the stage. "Someone says 'hi.'"
Fushingi gapes as the portal reveals the Pony Man, sitting on
a knoll as he plays his guitar. "***YOU!!!!!!***" he screams,
lunging at the image of his most hated enemy...
...then screams again as his body crosses the dimensional
barriers and burns up as this avatar of Chaos is consumed alive by
the Spirit of Innocence. Soon, nothing is left, not even ashes, as
the Forever Knight closes the gateway...
* * *
"What was that, Oji-chan?"
"It doesn't matter, kids," the guardian of Innocence smiles.
"C'mon. It's time to go. The pirate ship is waiting."
The children cheer...
* * *
"What happened?!" Saturn wonders.
With the dark preacher gone, the Senshi feel their strength
return as they gather around their leader. "Oh, I just exposed him
to a realm he could never enter," the Forever Knight grins. "After
all, a universe full of the Spirit of Innocence is too much even
for someone like him to take."
"How true," Pluto ruefully smiles.
"Who was the cowboy?" Jupiter wonders.
"My imaginary friend," Terra shrugs.
The original Senshi faint! "She's kidding, right?" Tuxedo
Kamen turns to his fiancee.
"Hmmm...maybe!" Moon laughs, then watches the Salvation Senshi
come up, Shakubyou carrying the unconscious Galaxia. "She okay?"
"Onee-chan just needs to go to a place where she can properly
heal," the newest Crossed Over Nendo-kata smiles, then looks at
Sailor Hades. "Yuki-chan, can you send us there?"
"You best send the other Shingi Maidens," Sailor Terspichore
adds as the Life Sentinels come up. "They'll need some place to
teach them what they need to be real members of society."
"Okay," Hades nods, waving her Styx Staff...
* * *
"Hey, Sailor Moon and her friends really cleaned house at the
Juuban Arena yesterday, getting rid of the latest pack of aliens to
try to overcome us!" the deejay reports over the radio at Haruka's
and Michiru's apartment. "Weren't they something?! Did you see
the new Senshi Life Sentinels?! If anyone was out there watching
the fun, call in and tell us all you can...!!"
Everyone chuckles as they relax, sipping tea...and munching on
candied apples. "I can't seem to have enough of these!!" Minako
gulps down one, her lips and face splattered in red glaze.
"Neither can I!" Ami chuckles as she nibbles hers, then stares
at Naru. "So, who exactly is this...Pony Man?"
"He's the guardian of childhood innocence," Naru smiles.
"I've been able to contact him since I was a baby."
"I never once thought that he'd actually allow people to do
that," Setsuna muses, then burps. "Excuse me!"
"You've been eating those things since you got up!!" Haruka
snickers, nodding to the candied apple in the time guardian's hand.
"What about you?!" Setsuna snaps.
Everyone laughs as Beans, Junko and Makoto come in with fresh
trays of caramel-coated snacks. "Lucky thing I learned how to make
these on the farm," the American smiles, then gazes worriedly at
her friends. "You guys okay?"
"No, not really," Michiru sighs. "What happened yesterday was
inexcusable..."
"Will you all finally stop?!" Naru snaps. "You couldn't help
yourselves, not after what Galaxia did!! I'm just glad Nyanko and
the Nendo-kata are watching over her and the other Shingi Maidens!
Relax, it's over with!!"
"Speaking of which, what happens to all of you now?" Ami
muses, staring at Rurika.
The Life Sentinels exchange looks. "We stay with you," Rurika
smiles. "After all, Yuu, Asuka and Chie are forming relationships
with some of your friends...and besides, we have to atone for what
we did while we were under the Reverend's control."
"Where can we fit you all?!" Makoto muses. "I mean, Yuu,
Asuka, Wakana, Chie and Emiru had places to stay, but..."
"Already taken care of, Mako-chan," Ayako asserts. "With the
ladies who were living with Matsuri-chan and I heading out to start
their own lives, we've got room at the place even with Chuuko-chan,
Akane-chan and Reiko-chan living there. 'Sides, we can use the
help raising the kids."
"Last survivors of their race," Setsuna sighs. "I wonder when
we should tell them about that."
"When it's right for them, Setsuna," Naru muses. "Even with
the Pony Man around to protect their innocence should that time
ever come, Fates forbid, they still deserve to be kids."
The others nod. Watching them from nearby, Usagi sighs, then
gazes out the window. The scars Fushingi left behind were still
there, still needed to be properly addressed over the unforeseeable
future. Everyone had to find out where everyone else stood on
certain matters. The healing would take a while.
"'If only I could accelerate healing,' Chooko once said," she
whispers, gazing at the heavens. "If only..."
*** The End...For Now ***
**** **** ****
And here's the song that inspired the Pony Man...
THE PONY MAN by Gordon Lightfoot
>From the album "If You Could Read My Mind" (1970)
Written by Gordon Lightfoot
When it's midnight on the meadow and the cats are in the shed.
And the river tells a story at the wind goes by my bed.
If you listen very closely, be as quiet as you can.
In the yard, you'll hear him, it is the Pony Man.
We're always there to greet him when he tumbles into town.
He leads a string of ponies; some are white and some are brown.
And they never seem to kick or bite; they only want to play.
And they live on candy apples instead of oats and hay.
And when we are assembled, he gives a soft command.
And we climb aboard our ponies, as in a rule they stand.
And down the road we gallop, and cross the fields we glide.
And soon we all go sailing off into the midnight sky.
And as we gaily rock along beside a rippling sea.
There's Tom and Dick and Sally and Mary Joe and me.
And the Pony Man is leading 'cause he's travelled here before.
And he gives a whoop and holler at Mister Moon's front door.
And then we stop to rest awhile where the Solar River glides.
Up to the slip comes a pirate ship to take us for a ride.
And the Pony Man's the captain and the children are the crew.
And we go in search of treasure and laugh the whole night through.
And when the hold is filled with, golden sails begin to strain.
And the decks piled high with apple pie, we head for port again.
Then down the whirling star case, so swift our ponies glide.
And we're safely in our beds again when the sunbeams kiss the sky.
When it's midnight on the meadow and the cats are in the shed.
And the river tells a story at the wind goes by my bed.
If you listen very closely, be as quiet as you can.
In the yard, you'll hear him, it is the Pony Man.
**** **** ****